Rwigara cleared of 'baseless' insurrection charges

A prominent government critic and her mother have been acquitted by Rwanda’s High Court of politically motivated charges, including inciting insurrection and forging documents. Diane Rwigara and her mother Adeline hugged supporters in the Kigali courtroom after the verdict was read out. The Guardian reports that the three-judge panel labelled the charges 'baseless'. Rwigara was accused of forgery in relation to her unsuccessful attempt to run against President Paul Kagame. She was arrested in September last year and held in jail for more than a year, until her release on bail in October. She faced 22 years behind bars if convicted. Rwanda's election commission claimed some of the 600 signatures she had submitted to secure her candidacy were forged while her mother was accused of inciting insurrection.

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